With the idea that all creatures should be included in holiday festivities, hundreds of shelters and rescue groups nationwide are working to place animals with temporary foster families as they await their “forever homes.”

Many animal shelters in the United States are overcrowded, which makes spreading awareness about fostering especially crucial for Petfinder.com’s third annual Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays campaign.

Two local organizations — Holly’s Garden Rescue and Guardian Angels Rescue, which specialize in small-breed dogs and cats, respectively — have partnered with Petfinder’s holiday program. While one goal of the larger program is to empty shelters from Christmas to New Year’s Day, each participating shelter has its own application process and desired length of fostering. Also, it serves as an avenue to spread awareness about the need for foster homes year-round.

“During the holiday season people tend to be more giving and forgiving,” said Susan Cuervo, owner of Holly’s Garden Rescue.

The rescue organization got its start when Cuervo’s dog died. She created a special garden for Hollywood’s final resting place. Since that time, she’s also lost Hollywood’s mate Buckie and their offspring, Curly and Katrina. She started the rescue with them in mind.

Cuervo said she now spends “every waking moment” pulling animals from shelters in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Bernardino to place them into foster homes.

Margie King calls herself “a foster failure,” because she ended up keeping the first dog she fostered with Holly’s Garden. Today, she’s caring for 10 dogs.

“Sometimes I go to shelters and there are more than 90 dogs on the list,” King said. “I wish I had a bigger house so I could take in more. I just can’t describe the feeling you get from seeing these animals and knowing you saved a life.”

While it varies by organization, Holly’s Garden Rescue provides host families with the dog’s food and medical care. Ideally, foster families care for the pup until an adopter is found, even assisting in finding potential adopters if they wish.

The range of time between when a dog is rescued, set up in a foster home and transferred to an adoptive family normally is two to six weeks, Cuervo said.

This process could also be either a steppingstone transition or a deal-breaker for people who were on the fence about adoption.

“It’s a good avenue to find out if a dog will fit into their lifestyle and if they’re ready for that commitment,” Cuervo said. “We want them to be a crucial part of the family.”

The average age of foster and adoption parents with Holly’s Garden Rescue ranges from 30 and 60.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring a little love into your home by giving a little extra love,” Cuervo said.